Pad Thai

 

1. This is fun to make.
2. I highly recommend a wok, but you can use a rounded bottom fry-pot.
3. It is so delicious!  So, don’t automatically poo poo the idea of doing this yourself. 

Having the right ingredients is key, not gonna lie, but I’ll also suggest not-as-good-but-good-enough substitutions if you know for sure you’re not going to shop for palm sugar or salted cabbage.  The Asian super market really is fun to walk through, and the people are truly helpful if you need to find, say, fish sauce.  They’ve got woks for $13.  They’ve got everything else you’ll need for this too, so you might as well just go get it all in one place.  However – I’ve seen pad Thai noodles and other Asian ingredients in regular grocery stores [Homeland, Crest’s, Buy For Less] – just not every single item for this particular dish.  And I’d be happy to go over to the Asian grocery store with you… unless I don’t know you.

Spring Rolls

These spring rolls are really fresh, light, and I’d even say they’re refreshing.  They’re filling without being heavy and are simple to make.  They’re sometimes called “Summer Rolls”.  Either way, these are not fried and usually that’s the difference between spring rolls and summer rolls when I’ve seen them available in restaurants.

Potstickers: Veggie or Pork

Recipe courtesy of Dave Lieberman

These are delicious and easy to make.  There are several steps, but with everything prepped, you can create an easy assembly.  Wonton wrappers can be found in the refrigerated section usually around the bagged salad in most grocery stores.  They are packaged in plastic and look like a stack of square, pasta sheets.